On the hunt for something to do the next time it’s sunny?
A picnic and a pink drink will always be a great shout – especially if you pair your dining with the perfect destination.
The good news is that there are loads of secret spots around the UK that are ideal for a summer’s day.
We’ve picked the best country estates around the country, then suggested what you should eat and what rosé to sip while you’re there.
So you don’t have to faff about with any decision-making. Just take your pick from the below options, pack a blanket, and enjoy.
Endsleigh
Set in a hundred acres of fairy-tale gardens, this former Regency fishing lodge is as quintessentially English as the roses that grow here.
Designed by Humphry Repton, the gardens, which roll down to the River Tamar, feature archways entwined with roses, fairy dells, secret grottos and cascading waterfalls.
And if the heavens open, hunker down in the cosy wood-panelled library, where a belt-busting afternoon tea is served. From £240pn, including breakfast, hotelendsleigh.com
Pack a picnic: Noble House Prepared specialises in luxury picnics featuring the likes of smoked salmon, home-baked focaccia, cheesecake, and scones with cream and jam.
From £45, noblehouseprepared.com (delivery nationwide)
Drink pink: Moulin de Pontfract is gentle and subtle, from £11.69
The Grove
Set in 300 acres of Hertfordshire countryside but a mere ten-minute taxi from Watford station, The Grove proves you don’t have to go far from the capital to find a rural idyll.
Hide out in the Walled Garden, with its funky urban beach, topiary giraffes, volleyball courts and outdoor pool, or wander through Asher’s Woodland Trails, dotted with interactive musical instruments like the didgeridoo and organ pipes for an impromptu forest jam.
From £370pn, thegrove.co.uk
Pack a picnic: Le Pain Quotidien’s ‘Picnic in One Click’ will provide all you need for a tasty al fresco meal, from summer salads to tartines, mini brioches, bread and dips, sweet treats and cold-pressed juices. £38, serves two, lepainquotidien.com (delivery within London or collect from store)
Drink pink: Add a touch of A-list glamour to your wine glasses with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s own award-winning fruity rosé, Château Miraval, from £19
The Glasshouse
Urbanites allergic to the countryside can still have a garden party in the heart of the city at the Glasshouse in Edinburgh.
Built in 1846 as a church for the poor, behind the dark Gothic facade is a swish boutique hotel with 77 rooms, most with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Calton Hill.
Aside from the contemporary Scottish brasserie and hip whisky snug, the biggest draw is the stunning two-acre rooftop garden with sweeping views of the city, an unbeatable setting for a picnic in the clouds.
From £216pn, theglasshousehotel.co.uk
Pack a picnic: Pick up a classic hamper from M&S, which includes a tote bag and cool bag filled with quiche, elderflower pressé, salads, antipasti, cakes, cutlery, paper plates and more. From £75, marksandspencer.com (delivery or collection nationwide)
Drink pink: You can’t go wrong with Domaine d’Estienne Rosé, with Grenache’s ripe raspberry fruit and the herbal notes of Syrah; from £12.99
The Newt
From the oval walled garden and apple-tree maze to a lofty treetop walkway and wild swimming pond, The Newt In Somerset is a veritable woodland wonderland for nature lovers.
Stay in one of the 18 chic rooms, lunch on home-grown treats in the Botanical Rooms restaurant, before a romp around the estate’s ancient woodland, cider orchards and deer park.
Doubles from £375pn, including breakfast and a mini larder (two-night minimum stay), thenewtinsomerset.com
Pack a picnic: With a farm shop on site, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to picnic ingredients. It has everything from locally farmed charcuterie to cheeses, pork and apple sausage rolls, scones and doughnuts.
Drink pink: Buy a bottle of its crisp, dry Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rosé, £14.90, produced at the Newt’s sister estate in South Africa.
Gliffaes
Surrounded by the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains, this elegant country house near Abergavenny is the place for a Welsh woodland escape.
Set in 33 acres of beautiful landscaped grounds, guests can roam through the hotel’s famed arboretum and try their hand at fly-fishing for trout on the River Usk.
From £159pn, including breakfast, gliffaeshotel.com
Pack a picnic: Melrose & Morgan offers traditional British picnics, with the likes of Scotch eggs and seasonal savoury tarts, as well as continental and vegan options, for two to six people. From £45, melroseandmorgan.com (nationwide)
Drink pink: Rapper Post Malone has just released his own Provencal rosé, crafted with an award-winning French winemaker — Maison No 9 starts from £18.99.
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